Corporate Virtual Reality is Paving the Future of Learning

Posted on Tue, 05/01/2018 - 08:59

Goldman Sachs predicts that the education VR market is currently worth $0.7 billion. Serious Games Institute conducted a recent study that predicted that the global VR market will be valued at $33.9 billion by 2022 with a CAGR of 57.84% between 2016 and 2022.

Virtual Reality (VR) deals with computer technologies that create realistic images and sensation replicating the real environment. It is an interactive and immersive experience generated by computer software. VR has been around for some time, mostly in the form of simulators. Recently, the drop in virtual learning cost has opened it up for more industries. However, Virtual Reality is different from Augmented Reality (AR). VR takes you to a make-believe environment, whereas AR adds more information to the existing environment. Google Glass can be cited as an example of AR.

Why use VR for corporate learning?

Virtual learning is not a fad; It is here to stay, and you can reap rich benefits from it. VR headsets like the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and others can be synced with mobile devices, which makes it easier for the learning and development department to include the VR experience in their training strategy.

In industries that deal with physically dangerous jobs, VR is a boon. For example, imagine a new pilot trying to learn and enhance his flight skills on a real aircraft. It is just not safe enough! But, when he has a flight simulator at his disposal, he can experiment and practice his skills in a safe space. Whatever mistakes he makes will not cause any real damage to life and property. He can crash his plane as many times he wants without being penalized. VR technologies can nullify the risks.

Corporate VR learning is immersive and transports the learners to a different world. It makes learning fun and interactive. When learners enjoy learning, they retain the knowledge better and are able to recall information when required in their daily job role. Learning by doing has far better results than learning by seeing or listening. VR experiences encourage the learners to process information by applying their knowledge in an environment as close to real life as you can get!

Since VR learning courses are experienced virtually, it saves a lot of time and money for the organization and its employees since they do not need to attend training physically. They need not block out time from their regular work to attend any face-to-face training. They can access their learning when they need to without having to adhere to time zones. They can practice at their own pace. Also, there is a substantial cost-saving associated with remote learning. The initial investment may be high but in the long long, you save a lot of money on the cost of venue and equipment for in person training. You save on stationery costs and you also save the environment.

In the virtual corporate learning space, there are three specific segments that will emerge.

A blend of customized and off-the-shelf learning for high risk environments.

A mixture of ready to use courses and bespoke offerings in the leadership and communication skill segments

Specific customized learning modules in sophisticated skills.

VR devices

The PlayStation VR, Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift VR headsets are available for use in virtual corporate learning. Google Cardboard VR viewers and platform are also popular among educators because of its reasonable price and availability. You can use this along with your smartphone to create immersive learning experiences for your employees that are seamlessly accessible anytime and from everywhere.

VR devices can track facial, eye, and body movements and translate them into the virtual environment. The handsets and headsets are comfortable to wear. The haptic devices go a long way in adding physical sensations and make the sound feel real. The experience feels so real that your learners may empathize with the characters and situations. The devices are reasonably priced and it is a one-time investment. You buy it once and your learners can repeat their learning experiences innumerable times.

There are several hurdles to overcome regarding calibration, stability, tracking, and so on. But with new technologies emerging every day and the enhanced computing power of mobile devices and computers, VR has a bright future and is here to stay.